Published: December 27, 2017
Cover Artist: Eric Jones
The Trouble at Tibrin Part 2
Writer: Landry Q. Walker
Artist: Eric Jones
Tales from Wild Space: The Best Pet
Writer: Delilah S Dawson
Artist: Arianna Florean
The synopsis;
With their diplomatic mission turned into a debacle, can Leia and Luke possibly salvage the situation? We hope so, because the future of the Rebel Alliance may depend on it!
The review;
Adventures, it never disappoints and even going back to these early issues it is always the same, this comic series is full of high-quality writing, full of incredible breath-taking art and most importantly of all, fun! This issue sees the second part of ‘Trouble at Tibrin’ by the wonderful duo of Walker and Jones. After last issue, I have been eager to read this next part. The second story is written by no stranger to Star Wars or Star Wars Adventures now, but back when this comic came out, it was her first story in this series, Delilah S Dawson. Her stories within the Star Wars universe are well written and enjoyed by many Star Wars fans. She is joined by the incredible artist Arianna Florean, whose work is always a joy to behold. Before even starting to read this issue, readers should be impressed by this roster of talent…
The work in the last several issues by Walker and Jones has really impressed me. The writing, the art style, it all fits together perfectly. The concluding part of ‘Trouble at Tibrin’ is an action rollercoaster that does not stop. With so much action, it falls onto the shoulders of Jones to really bring us along and keep the flow of the story going. It is done effortlessly. One frame blends into the other with ease, keeping the pacing of the whole story moving along. I’ve said before, Jones does not dwell on too much unnecessary detail, and with the action scenes it works well, you are not distracted by other things, your focus is on the story.
And the story. This part of the story really focuses in on Leia. Walker brings back the warrior princess from A New Hope, the princess who never hesitated, who got things done and just stormed out with sheer determination. We can debate how Leia changes over the course of the movie trilogy, but here in this story, we have the Leia we all fell in love with. Walker even puts in a joke about people acting differently when a woman has power. What I find interesting is that Leia is happy to jeopardise the negotiations on Tibrin for a friend, it almost seems out of character. Leia always puts the Rebellion first because it is the most important thing. Except when it comes to Luke. For Luke, she would put him first. It shows a subtle change to the princess we found in A New Hope, as well as the connection between the two of them.
And speaking of Luke, you really get a sense of the burden he is having to bear. In the first part of the story, the Rebels were hero worshipping Luke because of his incredible feat. In this part, we get to see the other side. The Imperials think Luke is special, at least the person who the name belongs to, that they expect such grand things. But when they see Luke physically, they don’t believe him to be a Jedi or the real Luke. The expectation from both sides is quite a heavy burden for Luke and Walker is able to condense this down into his story very effectively. The little touch that Luke can sense something in the force to get them to safety is done very well and doesn’t feel like a cheap way for Luke and Leia to escape.
Through this entire part of the story, there are lots of little things that make this feel fun and set in a galaxy far, far away. The inside jokes between characters that only fans would understand, the dianoga hiding in the trash compactor and the torture device being the same as the one in Cloud City. It all shows a love of Star Wars from both Walker and Jones and lets you know that you are in safe hands with this duo.
What I find most interesting is the message of the story. When this issue came out, The Last Jedi would have only just been coming out in theatres, yet the message of this story is very much the same of the film (or at least one aspect). That it all starts with a spark. Leia understands that, that she needs to lead by example in order to have others follow. In the context of The Last Jedi, this story means even more, which shows just how well Walker understands these characters.
‘Best Pet’ is another of those stories that completely took me by surprise. The format is slightly different in that this is more of a science lesson from Dawson and is told by Crater, not Emil. However, it is far, far more fun than how I make it sound. This story is all about getting to know the porgs, and with The Last Jedi released at the same time when this was initially released, I can see why. This is an incredibly humorous look at the porgs and Dawson has a lot of fun with it. From the way they act, what interests them and the fact a group of them is called a murder. It is all highly entertaining. Although aimed at children, I couldn’t help but laugh.
But one really helps to bring Dawson’s vision to life is the artwork by Florean. This story would not have worked without the bright, animated feel of Florean’s work, who captures the porgs perfectly. Everything from the action poses of the mischief they are getting up to, to the even more incriminating expressions on their faces as they’re doing it. It all works tremendously well with the writing.
Another incredible issue with incredible writing and incredible artwork. This is a prime example of why if you’re not reading Star Wars Adventures, you really should be. There is humour, yet also serious messages that are great for younger readers to see and understand. I’m not sure if there are any more stories by Walker and Jones in Adventures, I do hope IDW decide to bring them back for forthcoming issues, as the duo are incredibly talented and clearly love their work. Dawson’s first outing into Adventures is a slightly different take on ‘Tales from Wild Space’ but it really works. Added with the beautiful artwork by Florean and you have an incredible science lesson, Star Wars style. As always, my only complaint is that the issues always seem too short, when the quality is this good, I just want more and more…
Availability;
